Five Great Places to Stay in Venice for the Carnival by Anthea Gerrie
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No other city does the mardi gras celebration, in Venice known simply as 'Carnevale', so stylishly. Even those who don’t hold tickets for one of the many private celebrations will enjoy mingling with the locals who throng the bridges and piazzas in their capes, tricorn hats and masks.
And with the below selection of five great places to stay in Venice for the Carnival, you'll get more than just a flavour of the City of Light at its regal, decadent best...
1. Monaco & Grand Canal Hotel, San Marco
Every first-time visitor is looking for the archetypical place to stay in Venice with views of the Grand Canal, and the four-star Monaco & Grand Canal Hotel ticks all the boxes. This former 16th-century palace, which has hosted Casanova and a host of Italian royals, enjoys a view of Santa Maria della Salute, the iconic landmark church on the edge of the lagoon. The hotel is next door to Harry’s Bar, Venice’s ultimate watering hole, a de rigeur first stop for a Bellini peach juice cocktail.
Find out more about the Monaco & Grand Canal Hotel
2. Ca Maria Adele, Dorsoduro
Those able to spring for a little more can land a themed-to-the-hilt room in another 16th-century palazzo, the funky but opulent Ca Maria Adele. One of the sharpest design hotels in Venice, at the San Marco end of the charming Dorsoduro neighbourhood, it exudes some gorgeously camp details. These include an ostrich-feather chandelier in the breakfast room and a Moroccan-style terrace. (Marrakesh in Byzantium? Why not, for those who crave the two most OTT forms of exotic!)
Find out more about Ca Maria Adele
3. Ca' Pozzo Inn, Cannaregio
Although first-time visitors, having heard how easy it is to get lost in Venice, opt to stay in San Marco, it can be more rewarding to wander off the beaten track. Cannaregio, with its quiet canalbanks and deep sense of history (this was the area of the medieval Jewish Ghetto) is the connoisseurs’ choice in Venice. It has one of the town’s best local restaurants, the eclectic and affordable Anice Stellata, and a great lodging choice is the Ca' Pozzo Inn, a minimalist boutique hotel. No Venetian curlicues here - this place is all about flatscreen TVs and contemporary art - but there’s a millennium of history right outside the front door.
Find out more about the Ca' Pozzo Inn
4. Hotel Flora, San Marco
While Venice is principally an adult destination it does have the family-friendly Hotel Flora. Nicely situated in San Marco, it’s bright and beautifully-decorated in the romantic Venetian style. How does romantic dovetail with family accommodation? Apparently many of the parents who come with their brood made their first trip to this 17th-century artists’ haunt as honeymooners!
Find out more about Hotel Flora
5. Ca' Pisani, Dorsoduro
Too cool for all the gilt and flourishes of Italian Renaissance? Then design hotel Ca' Pisani may be more your bag with its art deco style. Expect to find nods to Futurism in the bathroom and 1940s ambience in the restaurant, La Rivista. The early 20th-century decor of this Dorsoduro hotel sits nicely with the period of the nearby Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This superb modern art museum in the heiress’s former home boasts a fabulous show of Surrealists, a sculpture garden and a divine terrace on the Grand Canal.
Find out more about Ca' Pisani
Even when the balls are over, locals like to parade Venice’s exquisite, palazzo-lined fondamente, as the canal banks are known, in their costumes. The weeks immediately following Venice Carnival are the best of the year for the visitor, who will find the town opened up for the season but all the tourists gone, leaving this haunted and haunting city of water at its most atmospheric...
Looking for a great place to stay in Venice for the Carnival? See our full selection of luxury hotels in Venice.
Or plan your evening's dining with a guide to how to eat and drink in Venice and an insider's take on twenty of the best restaurants in Venice.